Owner of A Lonely Heart
by cotecasasweatherly
Summary: Tony stands on a pier, looking out at the water after a dream corrupts his thoughts. Set during Season 11, after Ziva leaves.


The breeze was cold and crisp as it hit Anthony Dinozzo Jr's skin. His body, tense and leaning over a wooden rail. His eyes lingering over the water as dark blue waves crashed on the shoreline beneath him.

He pondered and reflected on the moments in his life. Most were mistakes and by mistakes, HUGE mistakes. Between the death of his mother and the never ending fights with his father, he finally wondered if something in his life would ever go right. It seemed like all he ever had was empty promises and people he cared about most, coming and going.

Then, her face struck through his mind. Her soft, brown curls with the smell of coconut and shea butter. Her olive tanned skin, indulgent at touch and taste. The way her face lit up whenever he told a joke and those back dimples - god, those back dimples.

He shook his head, trying to get the images of her out of his mind. Especially, since the night before, when he had thought his worst nightmare ever had occurred.

There she was, standing. Standing in a white gown, her curls falling down her tanned back. The makeup on her face (not too much) done absolutely perfect. He watched her from a distance, her eyes flickering over to him almost on cue as the man to the left of her spoke.

"If anyone thinks that Mr. Ray Cruz and Mrs. Ziva David should not get married, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Brunette eyes met his earthy green ones. She stared, waiting along with everyone else in the church. His heart stung, watching her look at him like that. She told him she was happy, why the hell would she be staring at him now, on her wedding day when the Priest is asking for someone to interrupt?

Tony's fists clenched at his side, pain overtaking his heart. God, he wanted to do it to. He just wanted to walk right up there and sweep Ziva off her feet. Ray didn't deserve her. Hell, no man on the face of this earth deserved her, even Tony. She was a goddess and one of the most brilliant people he would ever come across. She didn't deserve the empty promises and ring proposals that the Miami Jackass put out, but yet for some reason the universe was allowing him to marry Ziva David. Damn, would Tony of loved to see father dearest David here. If he thought Tony was bad for Ziva, Christ he would've gotten a kick out of Miami man. But, there her eyes were, connected to his. It's like she wanted him to stop the ceremony because her pretty, little, stubborn ass wouldn't admit her feelings for him last night when he went to see her. Maybe that was a stupid idea though, going to see the woman you love the night before her wedding to another man. He asked her if she was doing the smart thing and she reacted by yelling at him at how he never like Ray. Of course, he didn't answer. He just took her yelling, hugged her goodnight and gave a kiss on her temple before walking out. If he hadn't been so dumbfounded, he should have never looked in the reflection of the mirror beside her door to find her staring with puffy eyes at him leaving. Tony sneered to himself, it would have made a great movie, _The Man That Dies Alone._

Tony snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the Priest continue on with the ceremony. He felt Ziva's flash away from his and a frown creep on her face. Oh yeah, little miss stubborn wasn't ready.

Tony held the bottle of beer over the edge of the railing. The phone in his pocket vibrating, knocking him out of his thoughts.

"Dinozzo," he answerd.

"Hello, Tony" a soft voice mumbled on the other line.

"Ziva," he breathed in the cold air, "what's up?"

"Nothing, just walking. I wanted to see how you were," he could hear her faint smile over the phone and his heart warmed at that.

"Eh, you know the boss man- work, work, work!" He chuckled, taking another sip of the bottle in his hand.

Ziva giggled on the other line, "I miss you all. Israel has been terribly lonely. I-I guess I am finding myself, I just never thought it would be this hard to do…alone."

Tony frowned, "Sorry to hear that. I…" he paused "we all miss you too. Believe it or not, I don't have anyone to hang out with anymore,"

Ziva chuckled in disbelief, "Really? What happened to all your friends, Tony?"

Tony smirked, she would always catch him in his lies "Fine. I mean I don't have anyone to hang out with anymore that I actually like,"

She smiled, "Are you okay, Tony? You seem on edge."

"I'm fine" He shrugged, acting like she could see him.

"You are not fine, Tony, and this is coming from the woman who always says that," she laughed, "Tell me what's on your mind"

He sighed deeply, taking another swig from the bottle "Last night wasn't a very good night"

"And why is that? A case? Senior?" she questioned, her breath picking up sounding like she was walking faster.

"No, I just-" He couldn't find the words to say what actually happened without sounding like a total loser.

"You just what?" she kept pressing.

"I just had a dream about you, that's all" he shrugged off.

"Ouch. You had a bad night because I was in your dream?"

"No-no it wasn't you. It was the plot of the dream, s'all" He was trying to cover up his emotions now.

"Okay, so what was I doing in the dream that made you uneasy?" She kept asking questions and he wanted to scream.

He took the hand that wasn't hold the bottle and ran it over his face and through his hair, sighing. He knew if he didn't come clean she would keep asking and get angry because he wasn't being truthful with her. Truth, something they both had learned to use in their relationship if they ever wanted it to work, "You were getting married."

"I was getting married? To who?" She chuckled, not believing what he was telling her.

"Ray," Tony spit out angrily, "You accepted his cute, little empty box proposal."

She could hear the anger in his voice, "Tony…" she warned him. She didn't want to go over this whole situation again, not after so many years.

"I know, I know. It's stupid. For some reason, the dream really got to me. I don't know why, I- I guess it's because you know…I didn't want you to marry him," he slurred on.

"Tony, you would not have had to worry about that," She tried to reassure him.

"Well, you don't know that. I mean, what if you run into CI Ray tomorrow and start the whole relationship over and he proposes-" He was blabbering on.

"Tony!" She yelled, feeling annoyed that he was having trouble with this years later. "I am not going to run into Ray and even if I did, I would not marry him. Besides, I would not be marrying the man I love if I did that," She bit down on her lip hard as she said the words.

He sighed contently on the end of the other line and she smiled, knowing he was finally going to calm down "Okay. That's good to know," he tried to smile "God, Zee. I miss you"

"I miss you too, mon petit pois. Do not let these dreams get to you. I will be back to you before you can even start counting to a million," she let out a low chuckle in her throat.

Tony breathed in heavily, "I wish you would tell me when, sweet cheeks" he closed his eyes, listening to the waves below him pick up in speed.

"Put the bottle down," she ordered him over the phone.

"Wha- put the bottle down? How do you know I'm drinking?" He yelled into the phone.

"Damn it, Tony. Put the bottle down" she hung up.

"Ziva? ZIVA?" Screaming her name, Tony realized she hung up on him. He closed his phone, shoving it back down into his pocket before taking another swig of the alcohol and throwing the bottle into the water.

"Took you long enough," he heard a voice behind him.

No, no, don't go there Dinozzo, he thought to himself. It wasn't really her voice, his mind was just imagining it because he just heard it on the phone.

"Seriously, Anthony. Turn around"

Quickly, he spun around and couldn't believe the sight before his eyes.

"Ziva…." The words pressed out from between his lips and his legs were moving before he could even understand what exactly he was doing. Her lips were crashing onto his while his arms worked to pick her up by the waist. Long legs wrapped around his waist as two tongues fought for dominance of each other's mouths. She moan contently feeling him pull away, his arms tugging tightly around her and his face burying into her hair. She felt his warm breath on the skin underneath her hair and smiled to herself. She would plan on marrying this man and waking up to his hugs and kisses for the rest of her life.


End file.
